


C:\StryMd\seedRXF>>setadministrator

by mOther3



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, HOW IS THERE NOT A TAG FOR THE ADMINS POLY?? WHAT??, Hurt/Comfort, Ill tag more later on, M/M, Welcome to ot3 hurt/comfort longfic, admin!jesse, elements of non con, ill be your host, s2 rewrite, some fourth wall mentions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-01-24 18:43:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21342934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mOther3/pseuds/mOther3
Summary: “The admins are so full of themselves they can’t see it’s hurting us!! They’re supposed to be leaders! People who guide and understand others! They’re-!”She stopped and turned, looking at Jesse.“You’re those things.”“What?” He croaked out, too tired to think.“You’re what an admin’s supposed to be.”—Jesse sees himself die in the Sunshine Institute. He’s been having visions of his own death and teleporting improbable distances in his sleep. The Underneath offers no answers to his questions, only a flighty ex-admin to guide Jesse and his friends across the harsh world as his mysterious symptoms slowly progress into devastating sickness.
Relationships: Jack/Nurm (Minecraft), Jesse/Lukas/Petra (Minecraft), Romeo/Xara/Fred (Minecraft)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 61





	1. Break-In

**Author's Note:**

> I have a Lot of feelings about an admin!jesse au and what went down between Fred, Xara, and Romeo as everything went downhill. Please enjoy!

He fell to his death for the first time on the way to cell block X in the Sunshine Institute. It was simple, a missed jump, a well placed pool of lava. Fiery pain, and then nothing. Poof. He was gone in a puff of smoke and pile of sticks that he’d kept stashed in his inventory. 

A flash of green. 

Then he wasn’t dead. 

He stopped in his tracks as they walked down the corridor to the cell block and Petra walked into him abruptly, lost in thought. 

“Whoa, what’s up, why’d you stop? Did you see something?”

Jesse stammered a bit and looked at himself in awe. No burns, not a scratch, even his inventory was still right where he’d left it, not a stick out of place. 

“Yeah uh.. there’s...” He wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t want to freak Petra out any more. That and he had _no_ idea how to explain what he’d just experienced, “Did... something just happen?”

“You stopped walking. That’s what happened.” 

“Oh. Sorry.”

A daydream, surely. 

He stepped cautiously, somehow out of intuition, remembering the trip wire he’d sprung before he’d seen (hallucinated?) his death. 

“How’d you know that was there?” Jack was observant, like always. Jesse simply shrugged. He chalked it up to deja vú or muscle memory. He’d been in his fair share of perilous dungeons with enough traps to take down a town, maybe he’d just gotten used to it by now. Jack said nothing in reply and Jesse quietly thanked whatever possessed Jack to not press him on the topic further. 

Nurm muttered something about it in his native tongue (Jesse was learning to converse with Villagers. He recognized one of the words—‘glow’.) Jack shook his head and whispered something in curt reply—of which he only understood the word ‘never’. Jesse was too preoccupied to concern himself with the conversation. 

——

“_His eyes had a glow. Green. Just for a second. Like an administrator.”_

_“Stop it. It was just the light. People like us could never handle those powers, it’s just not feasible.”_

——

“Wish I knew what those two gossip about all the time” Petra muttered, approaching the end of the corridor Jesse had walked down twice now. He shrugged in reply, looking down at the conduits of flowing lava and shuddering. He’d died. Or seen himself die. Something like that. He didn’t like it. 

“Glad we didn’t trip that wire. Who knows what it would’ve done.” She kept talking, either oblivious to his sudden quiet or just leaving him be. Jesse looked up and pointed at some iron bars tucked away in the ceiling. “Oh. Yep. That would’ve sucked. Good eye.” His mind wandered to seeing Petra on the opposite side, wondering if he’d ever be able to get back to her. 

They stepped into the cell block again, Jesse surveying the lava and trying to find a safer way down—this time with everyone. 

A voice cut through the ambient sizzling of molten rock and quiet conversations. Prisoner X. 

“I know you’re here. You gonna come tell me why?” Jesse felt a shiver run through his body, the sensation of someone _angry_ standing next to him. He snapped to look at what felt like the source and saw nothing. “Wait. You’re not _him_. Who are you?”

“Uh. Hi. I’m Jesse. Kinda wanted to know if you’d help me and my friends?” It was his usual greeting for those couldn’t get an immediate read on. Petra snickered a bit at the stilted attempt at a friendly introduction only to be interrupted by Radar asking what was so funny. Any other time Jesse would’ve hassled them for not taking things seriously, but he was still shaken from his own death. 

The voice laughed and the feeling of being intensely watched subsided. Jesse glanced to the rest of the group, who looked unbothered (aside from Radar, but he was constantly on edge). It seemed they hadn’t felt the presence at all. Nurm caught Jesse’s nervous glance and he quickly looked away from the villager. His conversation with Jack earlier had been about him, Jesse knew it. 

“Are you with R-... Er, the Admin...?” Her voice broke the silence again. 

“Heck no. We want to get out, pronto.” Petra answered for Jesse, stepping forward to address the voice. 

“How many of you are there?”

“Five. Six if you count the llama.” 

Lluna brayed and shook herself out quietly, making unbreaking eye contact with Jesse. Sometimes he wondered if she knew something he didn’t. 

“I don’t care about the llama. If you want my help, bust me out of here. Don’t try any funny business.” 

“You and me both, miss. We’ll be down faster than a-“ Jack started to ramble, the rest tuning it out as they helped each other down to the cell. 

——

When Xara saw him, she stepped back and said nothing, twitchy body staying eerily still. 

She made Jesse feel more than just uneasy. It was instinctual, primal fear that sat deep in his gut and made him almost nauseous. He stepped forward to the mouth of the cell and stopped, noting the pressure plates silently and examining their captive. 

She’d been put in a straight jacket and some sort of mask to keep her from speaking... not that it had done anything earlier. Crimson lines of blood ran down her sickly pale skin where the mask had jabbed her as she spoke. As Jesse stopped moving, she inched forward, watching him intensely. She let her feet take her as far as the edge of the last pressure plate, watching the boy (he couldn’t be more than twenty) as he nervously kept an eye on her footfalls. 

Xara bowed her head slowly, holding her face out to him and looking him in the eye, waiting to see his next move. If he were like any other sane person, he would have stayed a mile away from the mask on her face, and yet. 

Warm hands brushed against Xara’s cheeks to clutch the mask—she felt the strange energy on him and stared, unblinking, unmoving. 

Jesse shuddered as he took the mask off her and she didn’t move a muscle. 

“Um.”

“You’re young” she breathed, eyes glancing up and down his body. He shuddered. “Too young to get wrapped up in this. Why are you here. You shouldn’t play with fire.” The rest of the group stood away in silence. Jesse was good at defusing tense situations but this one hung in the air like fog, ready to snap any second. 

She stared swords into him until he spoke meekly, “I ah. The admin is impersonating me. I’m the leader of a town with lots of good people in it. I don’t want them to get hurt because of him and I need your help.”

Her features eased wistfully as he spoke. A momentary air of sadness overtook the tense aura. “I see.” 

This sudden intruder reminded her of someone dear... the genuine, selfless worry in his pleadng eyes... She wrenched her own eyes shut at the onset of tears and willed herself to be strong for _him_. The time was now. She could sense it on the stranger who somehow, for some reason, chose to break further into prison than out of it. 

“So... can you help us?” She opened her eyes again and let a breath she didn’t know she was holding go. The others behind him watched so eagerly. They were desperate. 

“It’s not going to be easy, Jesse, but yes, I can help you.”


	2. Break-Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Come back and stand on the plates, then do that again.”
> 
> “Do what?”
> 
> “Teleport.”
> 
> All eyes shot to Jesse.
> 
> “Teleport?”

_years ago_

They lay in the cool grass outside the cabin, hands intertwined lazily as they watched the sky turn from blue to soft purple with the sunset. Cold water lapped at their bare feet. Enjoying the creek they’d built their home next to was a pastime that even the burdens of administration couldn’t break.

It was better when the three of them were together.

Despite the peace around her, Xara was preoccupied. Romeo wasn’t feeling well, having turned in for the night after lashing out at Fred for being away at the Keep for so long. Fred had taken it in stride, graceful as always. Xara couldn’t handle it, having gone outside to get away from hearing the two closest people to her drift even further apart.

Fred joined her when it was done, silently laying next to her and holding her hand in reassurance. 

The sunset turned red. She looked over at their home where Romeo was asleep, resting more and more to accommodate for his ever increasing powers.

“... What if we aren’t enough to stop him?” Fred looked over to her as she stared at the cabin. She didn’t register the words, too lost in thought.

He sat up next to her (blue flowers blooming around him) after a drawn out sigh. She wasn’t taking Romeo’s changes well. The rifts in their once perfect relationship only grew by the day. 

“Xara.”

Fred’s voice pulled her from her musings and she turned to him, propping herself up on an elbow, “What?”

“I’m just thinking worst case scenario here. He could take us out. Then what?”

“Romeo would never-“ She wanted to believe it. 

“Please, Xara. Put our friendship aside and think about the world—_Oasis_. Our people owe it to us to keep them safe.” The big picture was still so new to them. They’d become beloved leaders to the people they created. Leaders who vowed to keep them safe. 

“... I don’t. I don’t know anymore...” They’d tried everything in their power to help Romeo cope with his new powers as an admin. They’d adjusted well enough, having changed at the same time as him, but something was _wrong_ with Romeo and it was only getting worse by the day.

“It’s hard to think about. But I... Think I have a last resort.” The serious tone in his voice made Xara look up to him. Fred took in her tired face and steeled himself. He’d be strong for her, to keep the world they’d built together safe. 

“A boy was just recently born in the Keep. He’s... something’s different about him. I looked at the code. He could handle being our successor. Someone to finish the job if we... don’t make it.”

“A baby, Fred. I couldn’t—“ Becoming an admin hadn’t been easy. It was painful and life altering in so many ways. It was beyond unfair to do something like that to a baby. 

It was hardly fair for the three of them. 

They hadn’t chosen to be the ones, but it happened anyways. The agonizing transformation and acclimation to their world-changing abilities shattered their once simple life. Romeo had gotten the worst of it, his mind was so badly addled by sudden, limitless power that he fell unconscious for weeks. Xara had wanted to believe his sudden lack of empathy when he awoke would fade. Fred, who had always been gentle and loving, put his foot down for her, forever breaking what the three of them had. 

Granting someone new (a baby, at that) the power of administration was drastic... Romeo certainly wouldn’t go so far as _killing_. And what would a baby do to stop him? It’d be years before they could even begin to think of facing Romeo, who’d have all the more time to grow stronger. 

Fred shifted, sitting up straight and squeezing Xara’s hand to reassure her. “I know it’s extreme. I’ve checked every other person in the Keep and Oasis and nobody would survive the changes. But this boy, he’s like us. Admin material.”

“Listen to yourself, Fred. Would you really do that to someone who has no say in the matter..?” 

“If Romeo forces my hand, I’ll do what I have to to keep our world safe. Vesting our powers to another could be the only true line of defense.” Xara looked him in the eyes as he spoke and he didn’t waver. He was serious. 

“I... Fred... I won’t stop you, but I don’t like it.” 

He looked down, unable to meet her gaze. “I know.” 

She let go of his hand. The sun set below the horizon, red sky fading away.

“I’m sorry, Xara.”  
—

Xara lifted one foot out of her cell, watching Jesse nervously stare at the shifting plates and glance around the room searching for what it could be connected to. 

“Someone needs to stay here.” She said frankly, “Or else we’re blown to bits.” 

Dynamite. Jesse blinked and saw it in an instant. At least twenty blocks hidden atop her cell. It was a blast strong enough to smear the walls with what would be left of them. He shook his head lightly at the vision and shuddered as the real world came back. 

“Everyone, get back.”

Petra and Jack stumbled over themselves to distance Radar and Nurm from whatever Jesse had seen, Lluna following them, unbothered as usual. 

He waited until he felt they were far enough away and turned back to Xara. As much as he wanted to trust her, the situation couldn’t afford putting his faith in someone he didn’t know. 

“We can figure it out. Just step back.” His voice was gentle, but commanding. 

She didn’t move. “There’s no way to get out of here without someone on the plates. Pick someone.” 

He turned, looking at the others, then suddenly found himself right on top of Petra, who stumbled forward, catching herself on Radar (who yelped out in surprise, but somehow didn’t go down with her).

“Whoa! Jesse, what the-?” He lurched forward and caught himself, looking up and staring at her in utter confusion, gasping for breath like he’d just been running. Petra turned to him with an accusing glare that melted away when she saw the shock on his face. 

Radar stepped forward when Petra went quiet, eyeing the distance Jesse had somehow travelled in the blink of an eye, “Do... You have an ender pearl on you or something?”

“No I just-“ He looked back at the spot where he was standing—about ten blocks away. “Just looked over here and...” As he turned back, he made a moment of eye contact with Nurm. The wisened villager usually made him feel at ease, but this look of deep thought was chilling. 

Xara’s voice interrupted and Jesse turned back, “That’s how we get out of here.” 

She’d gotten a strange feeling from Jesse. Even though she’d been stripped of her powers long ago, she’d never fully lost her heightened senses. Jesse held an aura unlike anyone else... except for _him._ This had to be the boy Fred had chosen. It’d been about twenty years since he’d done it, and Jesse was the right age. 

He’d shown some undeniable evidence just now: accidentally teleporting. It was an onset symptom of the approaching transformation he’d go through, granted she was right. They had a few days, at most, before it happened.

“Come back and stand on the plates, then do that again.”

“Do what?”

“Teleport.”

All eyes shot to Jesse.

“Teleport?” 

Xara would’ve pinched the bridge of her nose if she wasn’t in a straight jacket.

“Hold on, you know something.” Petra was the first to speak up, looking at Jesse who was still catching his breath, then to the cell.

“I saw what you did. He teleported. We can use that. Get your head in the game.” Petra frowned, but didn’t argue, turning back to Jesse. 

“Can you do that again?”

“I can try. I dunno if I’ll be any good after it. It... feels like I just ran a thousand blocks.” 

She helped him walk back to the cell. He didn’t step in, stopping just shy of the threshold. 

“Are you sure?” 

He nodded. He had to be sure. 

As soon as his foot touched the first plate, Xara strode off. Petra gave her a stern look and she shrugged. 

“Okay. Everyone out. I’ll be there soon.” Petra lingered as Jesse spoke. “Go, Petra. I don’t want you to get caught in the blast.”

“You better be sure about this, Jesse.” 

“I’ll be there.” 

She gave him a single nod and hurried out of the cell block, quiet footfalls breaking the sizzling of the surrounding lava. 

Whatever he’d done. He could do it again. He _would_ do it again. 

He closed his eyes and breathed in deep. 

A deafening explosion rattled his body and shook the floor, bringing him to his knees with a ragged gasp for breath. Distantly, he heard Petra scream his name and Prisoner X call out after her. Neither were anywhere to be seen.

He wasn’t in the cell anymore. A dim green color clouded his vision and he struggled to sit, leaning against the nearest wall, exhausted. 

At least he’d made it out.


	3. Voices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “This is weird, Jesse...”
> 
> “I know it is. When hasn’t it been?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of the first chapters of any fic I’ve written that’s been beta’d! Enjoy! :) 
> 
> Heads up, brief elements of non-con appear after the italic _far away_

_years ago_

“Romeo.”

He rolled over, tangled hair obscuring his face. She brushed it aside gently and stifled a quiet gasp at how hot to the touch he still was. He groaned out her name quietly and curled up on himself, hair falling back. 

“You need to eat something, love.” 

He squinted up at her with brilliant golden eyes as she tucked his hair behind his ear a second time. 

“Please.” 

He closed his eyes again and sighed, blanket around him pulling itself down on its own accord. His now dull red skin cast an eerie glow across the room. 

“We don’t need to anymore.” He said frankly, still moving to sit up and hold a hand out, conjuring himself an apple that looked dull in comparison to his brilliant red hair. 

“You’re still not done changing. You need the energy, Romeo.” 

He looked down at the apple in his hand. It’d been months. He hated this. Fred and Xara were off on their own, being admins, leaving him alone in their former home to wait for his agonizing acclimation to finally end. 

He squeezed the apple, barely strong enough to break the skin with his fingertips and watched as juice trickled down his hand. Weak. Pitiful. He was everything an Admin shouldn’t be. 

Fred and Xara weren’t being fair to him. They’d vowed to stay by his side. Where were they now when he needed them most? Busying themselves with work they’d made for no reason other than to get away, he was sure. 

Xara sat by him and he shifted away. She put her head in her hands as he finally took a bite of the apple. 

They sat in silence as he ate.

“Where’s Fred.” He tossed the core of the apple into the air and it dissipated into glimmering red energy. 

He knew the answer. Fred was always at the Keep, with a different excuse for not coming home each time. They got more complicated the longer it went on. Xara heaved a heavy sigh and didn’t move, head still in her hands. 

“The Keep.” 

Romeo rolled his eyes. Xara knew he did, she didn’t have to see it. 

“Why.”

He felt her bristle with annoyance and guilt when he asked. Part of it satisfied him, wanting her to hurt for leaving him in solitude. She rubbed her eyes and looked up to the ceiling. 

“One of his people had a baby. The first new spawn in the Keep.” 

Romeo paused at that. Xara held her breath.

The words slipped from his mouth in disbelief, “... First new spawn.” 

Fred wasn’t coming back. 

The thought made his mind race with emotion. Betrayal. Loneliness.

Anger. 

Rage that burned him to his core. If only he could give Fred could have a taste of what he’d been through... Then he would understand... 

A hand met his shoulder and he leaned into it, turning to Xara, “He’s not coming back.” 

It wasn’t so much of a question, but a quiet, angry resignation. 

She squeezed him lightly and said nothing. It may as well have been a yes. 

He closed the gap between them, pressing a somber kiss to her lips. Xara was all he had now. He wouldn’t let her go. 

The energy he picked up from the contact made him dizzy and he pulled away, eyes casting a dim golden glow across Xara’s face. The rest of his vision swam with the onset of another wave of energy building up in his body. 

Xara sensed it and sighed, taking her hand from his shoulder and helped him lie back down. He curled up pitifully, blanket pulling itself back over his body on its own. 

”Stay with me.”

“I...” She trailed off. The hurt in Romeo’s eyes at her pause made her look away. “I want to.”

“I can’t lose you too.”

It was getting dark. Oasis needed her protection. Romeo had been on his own many nights and survived. Her people hadn’t. 

She leaned down and took his hand, using her own powers to do the only thing she could think of. 

“Sleep, love.”

Forcing Romeo to sleep was a last resort. His body needed the rest but his mind never allowed it. He went limp at her touch, golden eyes fluttering shut, speech slurring. 

“Nuh.. please... Xar-“ 

He stopped mid sentence and let out a quiet sigh like he always did as he drifted into sleep. 

Xara pulled the covers around him gently and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. 

He watched her leave, half asleep in a daze from the rest Xara had forced onto him. It was hard to fight, and he’d suspected her of doing so for a while now... it hurt to be right. 

It was so much easier when they were around. When they were all changing and adapting—Fred would hold him gently, take the pain away with his sweet reassurances. They’d make it through together, he and Xara said. 

But something went wrong. Romeo never finished, and Fred and Xara wanted to go off to use their newfound power. 

Distantly, he could make out faint voices. 

“-ey picked a name for the bab-“

It sounded like Fred. 

“-eally? What is i-“

And Xara. 

Talking about the firstborn in the Keep. 

The pain rising in his body wrenched him out of his thoughts and back to the present. All he could see was red and all he could feel was fire, spreading. 

On instinct, he called for her.

“Xara-!”

Their voices stopped for a moment, then continued. 

“-think it’s just right for th-“

“-me on, tell me alrea-“

Xara’s voice faded away. He groaned and struggled to muster enough energy to focus in on them again. His mind wouldn’t allow it, though. This didn’t feel like any of the other times he’d been sick during his transformation: this was new and terrifying. He braced himself against the bed with a trembling hand and cried out for help again as his mind expanded further than it ever had before to encompass worlds of knowledge and burning power. 

Both of his friends went through this—he’d been by their side as it happened. They either had spectacular pain tolerance, or something was terribly wrong. 

“It’s not right! Please-!” 

Nobody responded. His body felt heavy, pinned to the bed by everything and nothing all at once.

The red in his vision slowly faded to black as the last shreds of his consciousness slipped from his grasp. 

Fred’s voice echoed as Romeo’s mind faded away...

“Their name is-“

——

“Jesse!”

He blinked awake to see Radar running to him. How long had he been asleep? His whole body ached in protest as he tried to move to meet Radar. 

“You-you’re alive! Petra! He’s here!” Radar kneeled in front of him, talking a mile a minute. “We thought you _died_ Jesse! T-the cell exploded an-and we couldn’t find you-!” 

“Hey, whoa. I’m fine-“ Radar quieted as Jesse took his hand, turning towards the sound of running. It was Petra. He’d never seen her move that fast in the entire time he’d known her.

Before she caught up, Radar leaned closer and spoke in a low voice, “I wouldn’t call whatever just happened fine, Jesse.” His bubbly assistant had only been truly serious on a few occasions and it was chilling every time. Jesse stared at him, unable to muster a reply. “...You can tell us if something’s wrong. Okay?” 

“I... don’t know how to explain to you what’s happening to me.” It was an honest answer, and the most Jesse could give him. There was no point in adding another burden onto the group if he had no idea what was going on—or if it was even real. Radar blinked at him, unsure of what to say in response to the terrifying realization that something was _actually_ wrong. “I don’t want to tell-“

Before he could even finish, Radar nodded quickly in silent agreement and shifted back as Petra nearly tackled Jesse, throwing her sword to the side and pulling into a hug. 

“Never do that again!!” She held him closely, pulling away just enough to look him in the eye. 

“I don’t plan on it.” She lingered as he said it, hovering close. Jesse leaned into her touch in a silent reassurance, watching blush slowly creep into her cheeks. “Petra it’s okay-“ He spoke her name quietly and she finally looked him in the eye. He lifted his back from the wall with a quiet grunt of effort, closing the gap between them. Being this close stirred a strange warmth that made the harsh environment of the institute fade for just a moment. 

And in just a moment more, Jack’s gruff voice brought him back, “Jesse, I swear trouble knows how to find you more than anyone else! What in blazes was that?!” 

He marched up, Nurm trailing him, clasping Jack’s hand close in silence.

“I- ah. Don’t know. It just kinda happened. Sorry?” 

Jack looked to Petra for a better explanation and she simply shrugged, earning her an exasperated sigh from her idol. 

“You kids gotta stop flying by the seats of your pants or it’s gonna get all of you killed.” His tone was more pleading than the warning it was intended to be. “I... Look. Being reckless is how I lost Sammy. I... can’t do that again.” Everyone fell silent. His shoulders slumped and he fidgeted with the hilt of his sword to find some solace in the quiet he’d created. 

Petra shifted away from Jesse quietly, moving to help him stand. He braced himself against the wall, Petra and Radar hovering close, “I’m really sorry about Sammy. And for scaring you. But I don’t think there’s a way out of here that isn’t going to be dangerous, Jack. Prisoner X is our best bet. She’s the only lead I have right now.”

Jack nodded slowly in reply, steeling himself and turning to Nurm, who muttered to him quietly and pressed a quick peck to his cheek to ease his nerves. 

“Speaking of, where’d she get to? Wasn’t she with you?” Jack motioned to Radar, who visibly shrank as everyone turned their attention to him. 

“I-I uh. She... she said she was going to look for a way out.” 

Jack nearly dropped his sword. “You let her wander off!?”

“She’s scary! I wasn’t gonna tell her no!”

Jack grumbled to himself and paced after hearing that their only hope had gone rogue. Jesse frowned. Falling apart now meant being stranded. Or worse. 

“Over here.” 

“Huh?” He turned to look at Petra, who was talking Radar down from Jack’s outburst. “Did you say something?”

“No?” She hesitated for a moment, “Are you feeling okay Jesse?” 

He caught Radar’s eye momentarily and his poor intern simply gave him a brief look of poorly masked terror. 

Jesse shrugged after the brief glance at Radar. “I’m... Not sure. Can I let you know in a bit?”

“Okay. Just take it easy, you don’t look so hot after that um... teleporting incident.”

“I said, over here!” It was practically shouted now and Jesse jumped in surprise. Petra gave him an unamused look that he didn’t react to and huffed in annoyance as he turned away. Friends told each other things. Right? She loved Jesse dearly but... this was worrying. She watched him address the group after steadying himself: 

“Prisoner X is still here. I think... she wants us to find her and follow.”

Petra was the first to speak following his announcement, “This is weird, Jesse...”

“I know it is. When hasn’t it been?”

“I mean weird even for our standards. You’re... you teleported and keep getting these really specific gut feelings, isn’t it worrying you?”

He turned, “Petra, I can’t worry about it right now, and whatever’s been happening is actually _working_ for us. Please, let’s just focus on getting out of here. I’ll be okay.”

“Okay...”

He took her hand, squeezed it in reassurance, and started down the corridor in the direction he’d felt Prisoner X’s presence. 

——

_far away_

“Oh wow! You’re back!” 

The voice tore Romeo from his thoughts and back into the bright reality of the Order Hall. It’d taken some time to prepare to assume leadership of Beacontown under a thoroughly convincing guise. Now would be a test of wether or not he was ready to become their leader without any suspicion. 

He took a sharp breath in, readjusting his form to look just as he’d seen Jesse last, and turned into a sudden hug.

Warm hands wrapped around him close and pulled him tight. 

The sudden sensation of touch brought a tremor through Romeo’s body and left him paralyzed for a moment. The last time he’d been hugged so _genuinely_... No. He couldn’t think of that now...

“I’m so glad you’re okay... Did you beat him? The Admin? You gotta tell me everything so I can write it down!” The voice was familiar... He went through the faces he’d seen with Jesse in his mind... 

_”I don’t like worrying about you...”_

That was it. The blonde boy who lingered close to Jesse before they’d parted. Lukas.

“Oh, he was _no_ match for me.” Romeo didn’t pull away from the hug until Lukas did, watching him trail his fingers down the armor he’d stolen before banishing Jesse, hesitating wherever he found a new dent or scratch. 

“I’m so glad it’s over. I was worried sick...” Lukas took his hands delicately. Romeo looked down and brushed his thumbs over the back of Lukas’s hand as he held onto the other, stepping close and meeting his gaze with somber blue eyes. “I wanted to tell you something in that weird castle, Jesse... And I didn’t get to say it because things went sideways...”

Lukas was so close, Romeo could feel the heat from his body. 

“And uh... before I say it now, I want to tell you that you’re my friend, always.” Friend... Romeo felt his heart leap. “But I... gosh, this isn’t... coming out really eloquently. Um. Jesse, I like you. And I just...” Lukas fumbled over his words, still leaning close, then stopped and spoke breathlessly. “Can I...? Could we, um. Kiss?”

Romeo could feel a nervous breath against his face and spoke quietly in reply. “I’d like that.”

As soon as he got an answer, Lukas closed the gap between them and warm lips met Romeo’s for an everlasting second. 

Romeo closed his eyes and reveled in it.

For once, he felt good.


	4. Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “How do you know about this whole champion thing?”
> 
> Xara stopped and opened her mouth to start speaking, closed it slowly, and took a long breath in. 
> 
> “I was... friends with the Admin.”

“Are you _sure_ this is the right way? I feel like we’ve passed that portrait of the Admin five times!”

“Be patient, Radar.” Jack chided with a low voice. 

The Institute was labyrinthine, but Jesse hadn’t stopped to think about where to go long enough for the rest of the group (aside from Radar) to silently doubt his navigation. 

They followed in tense quiet until Jesse came to a sudden stop in an empty corridor. Everyone froze immediately. 

“Well?”

He brought a hand to his head, visibly panting for breath, then staggered up against the wall, Petra hurrying to his side. 

“Whoa there, you good, Jesse?” She turned him gently to face her. She tried to keep a straight face as he leaned into the touch, still quietly struggling for breath. He hadn’t gotten any better. Sweat beaded down his forehead and each labored exhale brought a faint shudder through his body. 

“I just got really dizzy all of the sudden...” She watched his eyes slowly focus on her as he visibly thought about what to say next. “Remember when I said I’d get back to you on how I’m doing?”

“You gonna tell me what’s going on?”

“I think I’m sick.” 

“Yeah. You could say that again.” 

He gave her a weak smile (it was so good to know he was still cheerful, even trapped inside a supposedly inescapable prison), and stood up off the wall, looking past her as the sound of footsteps broke the silence.

Prisoner X was standing there, out of her straightjacket, now clad in the same orange jumpsuit the rest of them (aside from Petra) wore. Radar jumped at her sudden appearance, immediately slipping behind Jack, who instinctually brought a hand to his sword, their only remaining weapon. 

Prisoner X put a hand on her hip and spoke frankly: “Took you long enough. There’s a storeroom up ahead. Let’s go.” 

She turned and left as suddenly as she’d appeared, leaving the group staring at Jesse waiting for what to do next. 

“C’mon. I bet this Admin guy has some sweet stuff in there we can use to break out.”

Petra brightened immediately. Fancy weapons and rare enchantments made her world turn. Jesse’s smile widened more as she grabbed his hands, nearly shouting, “What are we waiting for!”

They found Prisoner X in front of an unassuming door and she pushed it open as they approached. 

“Take whatever you want.” 

If it weren’t in such an unfortunate place, the storeroom Prisoner X had lead them would have been a veritable slice of heaven. 

Petra was the first in and dove at the closest chest. 

Jesse watched the rest of the group excitedly rummage through the chests that lined the room before slumping against the wall with a weary sigh. 

If he had the energy, he would be right by their side, comparing which of the many swords would be just right for the coming journey. 

Instead, he addressed his latest travel companion. 

“Thanks for leading us here... uh..”

“Xara.” She leaned up against the doorway, keeping watch. 

“That’s a cool name. Thank you, Xara.” 

“Thank me when we’re out of here.”

“I mean, it doesn’t hurt to say it twice, right?” She rolled her eyes. He crossed his arms across his chest awkwardly and let her be.

They both watched Radar struggle with a shield that was nearly the size of his body. After a few moments of quiet curses and kicks at the chest it was lodged in, it came loose and he tumbled to the floor, lifting it back up and celebrating. 

Xara shifted, prying Jesse’s attention away from watching his intern (who was surprisingly adept with his newfound shield) play fight Petra while she pretended to be the Admin. 

He looked away from the scene as she turned to him. 

“Jesse. Can I ask you something?” 

Her tired eyes met his. He hadn’t had a chance to truly take her face in until now: she carried a strange sadness in her features that made him feel the same way. 

“Yeah. Go for it.” 

“How did you get wrapped up in this?”

The question brought a shudder through his body at the thought of all they’d been through. 

“It was an accident. I was exploring with Petra and... we found a gauntlet... I put it on and nothing’s been normal since.”

“You put it on?” She looked to Petra, who was far too engrossed in her ‘fight’ with Radar to notice, “But she’s got champion’s armor. What happened?”

“A lot. I uh... Really don’t want to go into it, but long story short, he accused me of cheating in this weird game and-“ He trailed off, looking distantly upset, fidgeting with the suspenders on his prison garb briefly before speaking even quieter than before, “He took her away instead of me. I dunno what happened, but she didn’t seem right afterwards.” 

He watched Petra with an earnest longing, falling silent as the fresh memories came back to him. 

She’d appeared out of nowhere in strange, glowing armor. She was beyond disoriented and even struck at him a few times before slowly regaining her senses and devising a way to escape him. 

Petra still hadn’t taken off the strange red garb she’d appeared in. Somehow, Xara knew what it meant. 

“How do you know about this whole champion thing?”

Xara stopped and opened her mouth to start speaking, closed it slowly, and took a long breath in. 

“I was... friends with the Admin. His name is Romeo.” 

Jesse stared. Xara watched him slowly piece together what he’d been told. 

“Why’d he put you here?”

The look she gave him was piercingly sad and her voice wavered:

“Because we’re not friends anymore.” Jesse started to speak again and she held up a hand, stopping him, “Talking about him is a waste of your breath and mine.” 

Jesse looked away, a bit frustrated at how closed off she was. Petra was gathering the rest of the team, and approached, pushing a sword into his hands. 

“We’re ready to go. You’ll need this.” She hesitated as their hands brushed together, giving him a momentary touch of reassurance before passing the hilt to his hand and ushering Radar out the door with his new shield.

Jesse prayed trouble wouldn’t find them as he took the lead again, walking much more slowly this time.


End file.
